Amanda Gorman: read a poem from Call Us What We Carry

Fury & Faith
by Amanda Gorman

You will be told this is not a problem, 
Not your problem. 
You will be told now is not the time
For change to begin, 
Told that we cannot win. 

But the point of protest isn’t winning; 
It’s holding fast to the promise of freedom, 
Even when fast victory is not promised. 

Meaning, we cannot stand up to police 
If we cannot cease policing our imagination,
Convincing our communities that this won’t work, 
When the work hasn’t even begun,
That this can wait, 
When we’ve already waited out a thousand suns.
By now, we understand
That white supremacy
& the despair it demands
Are as destructive as any disease.

So when you’re told that your rage is reactionary,
Remind yourself that rage is our right.
It teaches us it is time to fight.
In the face of injustice,
Not only is anger natural, but necessary,
Because it helps carry us to our destination.

Our goal is never revenge, just restoration.
Not dominace, just dignity.
Not fear, just freedom.
Just justice.

Whether we prevail is not detemined
By all the challenges that are present,
But by all the change that is possible.

& though we are unstoppable,
If we ever feel we might fail,
If we be fatigued & frail, 
When our fire can no longer be fueled by fury,
We will always be fortified by this faith,
Found in the anthem, the vow:

Black lives matter,
No matter what.
Black lives are worth living,
Worth defending,
Worth every struggle.
We owe it to the fallen to fight,
But we owe it to ourselves to never stay kneeling
When the day calls us to stand. 

Together, we envision a land that is liberated, not lawless.
We create a future that is free, not flawless.
Again & again, over & over,
We will stride up every mountainside,
Magnanimous & modest.
We will be protected & served
By a force that is honored & honest.
This is more than protest
               It's a promise.